Light reflection and refraction are fundamental concepts in the field of optics, which is the study of the behavior of light. These concepts are typically taught in class 10 science to help students understand how light interacts with different surfaces and materials.
Light reflection and refraction class 10 MCQs practice now
Here’s a short note on light reflection and refraction:
Light Reflection:
- Reflection: Reflection is the process by which light bounces off a surface. When a beam of light strikes a reflective surface, it follows the law of reflection, which states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. This means that the incoming and outgoing light rays make the same angle with the surface’s normal (a line perpendicular to the surface).
- Regular and Diffuse Reflection: Regular reflection occurs on smooth and polished surfaces, such as a mirror, where the reflected light rays are parallel. Diffuse reflection happens on rough surfaces, scattering light in various directions, like on a piece of paper.
- Virtual and Real Images: In reflection, you can create virtual images that appear behind the mirror or real images that are formed in front of the mirror. Virtual images cannot be projected onto a screen, while real images can.
Light Refraction:
- Refraction: Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium into another of different optical density. This bending is caused by a change in the speed of light, which occurs because the speed of light is different in different media.
- Laws of Refraction: When light passes from one medium to another, it obeys two laws: The incident ray, the refracted ray, and the normal to the interface of the two media all lie in the same plane. The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant, known as the refractive index.
- Dispersion: Refraction also leads to the separation of light into its constituent colors, a phenomenon called dispersion. This is why you see a rainbow when light passes through a prism.
- Lenses: Lenses are transparent objects with curved surfaces that can either converge (convex lens) or diverge (concave lens) light. They are widely used in optics, from eyeglasses to microscopes and telescopes.
Understanding these principles of light reflection and refraction is crucial in various scientific and practical applications, including the design of optical instruments, corrective lenses, and the study of natural phenomena like rainbows.
Light reflection and refraction class 10 MCQs
Q1. When light passes from air into water, it usually:
A. Bends away from the normal
B. Bends towards the normal
C. Continues in a straight line
D. Reflects back
Q2. What type of mirror is used in a rearview mirror in a car?
A. Convex mirror
B. Concave mirror
C. Plane mirror
D. Spherical mirror
Q3. Which of the following statements about the image formed by a plane mirror is correct?
A. It is real and inverted
B. It is virtual and erect
C. It is magnified
D. It is formed on the other side of the mirror
Q4. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Normal
D. None of the above
Q5. Which color of light is deviated the most when passing through a glass prism?
A. Red
B. Green
C. Blue
D. All colors are deviated equally
Q6. The phenomenon that makes the stars appear to twinkle is:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q7.In a concave mirror, if the object is placed beyond the focal point, the image formed is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q8. When light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it:
A. Bends away from the normal
B. Bends towards the normal
C. Continues in a straight line
D. Reflects back
Q9. The angle between the incident ray and the normal is called the angle of:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Incidence
D. Deviation
Q10. What happens to the focal length of a convex lens when it is immersed in a liquid of higher refractive index?
A. It increases
B. It decreases
C. It remains the same
D. It becomes negative
Q11. Which type of mirror can form both real and virtual images, depending on the object’s position?
A. Concave mirror
B. Convex mirror
C. Plane mirror
D. Spherical mirror
Q12.The angle between the emergent ray and the normal is called the angle of:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Incidence
D. Deviation
Q13. The splitting of white light into its component colors is called:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q14. A lens that is thicker at the centre than at the edges is a:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q15. The phenomenon responsible for the blue color of the sky is:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q16. The angle of refraction is related to the angle of incidence by which law?
A. Snell’s law
B. Newton’s law
C. Fermat’s law
D. Huygens’ law
Q17. The lens used in a magnifying glass is usually a:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q18. When an object is placed at the focus of a concave mirror, the image formed is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q19. The image formed by a concave mirror when the object is beyond the center of curvature is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q20.The change in direction of light when it passes from one medium to another is known as:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q21. Which of the following colors of light is deviated the least when passing through a glass prism?
A. Red
B. Green
C. Blue
D. All colors are deviated equally
Q22. The bending of light waves when they pass through a small opening is called:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Diffraction
D. Dispersion
Q23. The lens used in a camera to focus light on the film or sensor is typically:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q24. The angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are measured with respect to the:
A. Incident ray
B. Normal
C. Reflected ray
D. Lens axis
Q25. The lens used in a microscope to magnify small objects is typically a:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q26. Which of the following is not a type of mirror or lens used in optics?
A. Cylindrical mirror
B. Plane mirror
C. Convex lens
D. Concave mirror
Q27. When light passes from air into glass, it usually:
A. Bends away from the normal
B. Bends towards the normal
C. Continues in a straight line
D. Reflects back
Q28. The focal length of a plane mirror is:
A. Positive
B. Negative
C. Zero
D. Infinity
Q29.Which of the following types of mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image?
A. Concave mirror
B. Convex mirror
C. Plane mirror
D. Spherical mirror
Q30. The phenomenon responsible for the formation of a rainbow is:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q31. In a convex mirror, the image of an object is always:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q32. What happens to the focal length of a convex lens when it is immersed in a liquid of lower refractive index?
A. It increases
B. It decreases
C. It remains the same
D. It becomes negative
Q33. The bending of light as it passes through the boundary between two media with different refractive indices is described by:
A. Snell’s law
B. Newton’s law
C. Fermat’s law
D. Huygens’ law
Q34. The image formed by a plane mirror is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q35. The dispersion of light when it passes through a prism is due to the difference in the:
A. Speed of light in the prism
B. Wavelengths of different colors
C. Frequency of light
D. Angle of incidence
Q36. A lens that is thinner at the centre than the edges is a:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q37. When white light is incident on a glass prism, which color undergoes the maximum deviation?
A. Red
B. Green
C. Blue
D. All colors are deviated equally
Q38. The phenomenon responsible for the red color of the setting sun is:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q39. When light passes from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it:
A. Bends away from the normal
B. Bends towards the normal
C. Continues in a straight line
D. Reflects back
Q40. The angle between the incident ray and the normal is called the angle of:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Incidence
D. Deviation
Q41. The lens used in a magnifying glass is typically a:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q42. When an object is placed between the focus and the optical center of a concave lens, the image is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q43. When an object is placed at the focus of a concave mirror, the image formed is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q44. The image formed by a concave mirror when the object is beyond the center of curvature is:
A. Real and inverted
B. Virtual and erect
C. Real and erect
D. Virtual and inverted
Q45. The change in direction of light when it passes from one medium to another is known as:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Scattering
Q46. Which of the following colors of light is deviated the least when passing through a glass prism?
A. Red
B. Green
C. Blue
D. All colors are deviated equally
Q47. The bending of light waves when they pass through a small opening is called:
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Diffraction
D. Dispersion
Q48. The lens used in a camera to focus light on the film or sensor is typically:
A. Concave lens
B. Convex lens
C. Biconcave lens
D. Biconvex lens
Q49. The angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are measured with respect to the:
A. Incident ray
B. Normal
C. Reflected ray
D. Lens axis
What is the difference between reflection and refraction of light?
Reflection is the bouncing back of light rays from a surface, following the law of reflection. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in its speed and is governed by the laws of refraction.
How does a mirror produce a reflection?
A mirror has a smooth and highly reflective surface. When light strikes this surface, it undergoes regular reflection, creating a virtual image. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, which results in the formation of a clear and upright image.
What factors affect the amount of refraction when light passes from one medium to another?
The main factors that affect refraction are the angle of incidence and the refractive indices of the two media. The greater the change in the refractive index between the two media, the more the light will bend upon passing through them.
Why does a prism separate white light into its constituent colors?
When white light enters a prism, it undergoes dispersion, which is the separation of light into its constituent colors (spectrum) due to different wavelengths of light bending by varying amounts as they pass through the prism. This results in the formation of a spectrum of colors.
How do eyeglasses correct vision problems, and what types of lenses are used?
Eyeglasses correct vision problems by using lenses. Convex lenses are used to correct farsightedness (hypermetropia), while concave lenses are used to correct nearsightedness (myopia). The appropriate lens shape helps in redirecting incoming light to focus correctly on the retina, improving vision.